Thread holder for weft replenishing looms



March 10, 1953 A. c. KRUKONIS THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Dec. 11, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET l FIG.2

I I I ATTORNEY March 10, 1953 A. c. KRUKONIS THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed Dec. 11, 1951 2 Sl-lEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR ALEXANDER G. KRUKONIS 31 M 7. M ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 10, 1953 THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENIS'HING LOOMS Alexander 0. Krukonis, Auburn, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 11, 1951, Serial No. 260,971

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thread control mechanisms for the weft ends extending from reserve bobbins in a weft replenishing loom and it is the general object of the invention to provide means by which the thread holder and the threads attached to it may be moved backwardly and forwardly in the loom.

The shuttles of bobbin changing looms are generally replenished when the lay is at or near its front center position and the shuttle is then picked during the ensuing backward motion of the lay. In order to facilitate self-threading of the shuttle the thread attached to the fresh bobbin in the shuttle should be in a rearward position when the shuttle is picked. This may be accomplished by locating the thread holder in rearward position, but if the thread holder remain-s in rear position there is danger that the thread leading from a freshly replenished shuttle will not extend under the fork for the center filling stop motion and the loom will be unnecessarily stopped.

It has been proposed heretofore to move the thread holder rearwardly for the shuttle picking operation and then move it forwardly to insure movement of the thread under the filling fork, but in many instances this type of mechanism has been applied to a rocking type of magazine. It is an important object of the present invention to provide operating means for the thread holder adapted more particularly for use with stationary bobbin magazines. This feature of the invention contemplates use of an actuator on the top or crank shaft of the loom for an operator means which is guided for substantially straight line reciprocation during loom operation. The rear end of the operator means may be slotted and slide on a block or the like on the shaft, while the forward end of the op erating means may be supported by and slide relatively to a guide which may be either'stationary or mounted on the thread holder to move back and forth with it.

The thread holder and operator means are provided with elements, such as hooks, which are normally disengaged but are caused to engage each other on a bobbin changing operation of the loom, and when thus engaged the operator means effects back and forth motion of the thread holder.

When a stationary guide is provided for the I forward end of the operator means and the thread holder is pivotally mounted to swing in a vertical plane, it is a further object of the invention to pivot the element on the thread holder so that it can swing in a vertical plane to remain engaged with the operatormeans as the latter moves rearwardly in a straight line while the thread holder is moving angularly.

Whether the guide for the front end of the operator means is stationary or on the thread holder a further object of the invention is to move the element on the thread holder into' engagement with the operator means while the latter is moving in a substantially straight line,

thereby requiring the control means for the' 'pivotal element to accommodate itself to only one angular motion at the beginning of the thread holder moving operation.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the two embodiments of the invention and in in forward position and the thread holder in its normal forward position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear elevation of part of the reserve bobbin magazine looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1,

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections on lines i4 and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6, Fig. 2,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on line 1'!, Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 8, Fig. 1, showing the hook and. operator means in their normal inoperative positions, 7

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic views showing the thread holder and mechanism for operating it in two different positions, i

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to a part of Fig. l, but showing the modified form of the invention,

Fig. 12 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale looking in the direction of arrow I2, Fig. 11,

Fig. 13 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow I3, Fig. 11,

Fig. 14 is a detailed plan view showing the relation of the operator means and hook on the thread holder of the modified form of the invention after a weft replenishing operation has been indicated, but before the proper time has arrived in the loom cycle to besin novements of the thread holder, 1 i

Fig. 15 is a side elevation looking in the direc-' tion of arrow I5, Fig. 13,

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but shows the relation of the operator means and the hook after the operator means has moved to its for-1 ward position,

Fig. 17 is a diagrammatic view showing the manner in which the modified form of the invention moves the thread holder rearwardly, and

Fig. 18 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the thread holder, lay and shuttle intwo different positions, the first position being of reserve bobbins 2 having weft ends W which lead to a thread holder means H. In the present instance the example of thread holder shown for illustrative purposes is provided with gears 3 and 4 between which the weft ends extend, these gears being turned in a direction to hold the weft ends taut. The loom has a top shaft 5 which rotates.

once for each beat of the lcom.. This shaft has cranks one of. which. is, shown. at 6 connected to lay reciprocating connectors one of which is,

shown at l. The lay 3 is thus moved back and forth in the loom due to rotation of the crank shaft 5.

The lay is provided with ashuttle box it which receives a shuttle. S and. picker mechanism including a picker. P is provided to pick the shuttle out of the shuttle box. The magazine has a.

transferrer arm H which is normally raised but is pushed downwardly on a weft replenishing beat of the loomto move a bobbin selected from the magazine into the shuttle when the lay is at or. near its front center position, to the left as viewed in- Fig. 1. At this time the thread T corresponding to the transferred bobbin, designated. herein. at B, moves downwardly with the bobbin but remains attached to the thread holder means. H.. As; the loom. continues to operate and the lay movesrearwardly the. picking mechanism P will pick the freshly replenished. shuttle when the lay is. at or near its top center position. The shuttle is ofthe self. threading type and at thetime of picking. itshould eifectself-threading by the thread '1.

The lay is provided with a center filling stop motion forkv E which extends rearwardly. When weft thread is under this fork as. the lay moves forwardly the loom will continue to. operate, but if weft fails to be under the fork well -known mechanism operates. to stop the loom. In Fig. 18 the lay 8 is shown infull lines in. theposition it occupies at approximately the time the shuttle is picked. After picking they lay will move rearwardly and. the. shuttlewill. move along the lay so that these parts will be in some such. position as. indicated indotted. lines in Fig. 18.

The reserve bobbin magazine M is of..a.mul.ti color type. and includes in its construction a setting shaft to which is secured an arm is provided with a bar or shelf If. The latter is normally in the raised position indicated in Fig. 3 but when a replenishing operation is called the shelfl'will move downwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3,, thereby rocking the setting. shaft in a. counter-clockwise direction, Fig. .3, from its normal position to set position. This rocking of. the shaft may be eifected by a dog IS on a vertical slide 18 mounted on the magazine frame.

Rocking of shaft IE to its set position sets the loom for a bobbin changing operation and this rocking will ordinarily occur when the lay is on the rear part of its motion prior to a replenishing operation, and as the lay moves forwardly to its bobbin transfer position the shaft I5 is returned to its normal position, as by a connectorZG, by the time the bobbin changing operation is completed.

The mechanism thus far described is of common construction and operates in the usual manner.

In carrying the invention into effect provision is made for supporting the rear end of an operator means, designated generally at 25, on the shaft 5 and for guiding the operator so that its rear end will normally move in a substantially straight line. The operator means includes a head 26 provided with a slot 21 the top and bottom of which is defined by upper and lower runs 28 and 29, respectively, which are parallel. A block 33 is located in the slot and is slidable relatively to the head and is mounted for free rotation relative to the shaft 5. The block is confined on one side thereof by a flange 3! of a collar 32 whichis secured to and rotates wtih the shaft; The opposite side of the block is confined by an actuator 35 which in the present instance is a flat disk 35 secured to a hub 37 by screws 38. The hub is fastened by set screw 39 to the shaft 5.

The actuator has cut therein an eccentric groove or slot towhich receives a roll 4| rotatable on a stud 42 held by nut 43 to part of the head 2%. As the shaft rotates the eccentric the roll follows the groove #50 and causes back and forth sliding of the head 25 with respect to the block 30, thereby reciprocating the operator means 25 in a generally back and forth direction.

The part of the invention thus far described including the actuator and the head 25 may be used in both forms of the invention.

In the preferred form of the invention the operator means is made with a rod :35 which slides 4 in a guide at pivotally mounted with respect to a small support (if secured to arm 48' which is part of the thread holder means and to the lower end of. which is secured the case 49 which supports the previously described rolls 3 and 4. The upper end of arm 38 is pivotally mounted on a tie rod 50 forming a stationary part of the magazine. The tie rod and the axis of angular motion of the guide 56 with respect to the support 4'? are both preferably parallel to the axis of shaft 5. A spring 52 has one end thereof connected as at 53 to the arm 18 and has the other end thereof connected as at 53 to a stationary part of the magazine M. The effect of spring 52 is to hold the thread holder means in the forward position shown in Fig. 1 against a stop 55 secured to the tie rod 53. The spring 52 however will yield to permit. the thread holder to move rearwardly from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2.

The rod A5 is provided with a notch 56 defining a rearwardly facing hook element 51. A second hookelement 58 is pivoted on a pin 59 fixed to the pivoted guide it. A relatively weak tension spring til connected to the hook 58 at 61 and to the guide it at 5 2 tends normally to hold the hook 5?; out of the path of the hook 51 as shown in Fig. 8. A stop 53 engages a part 5 of the guide to limit angular motion of the hook 58 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8. Under normal conditions the forward end of rod 45 slides back and forth in a bore 65 of theguide 46 without having operative relation with respect to the hook 58.

The previously described setting shaft 15 has secured thereto an arm 61 to which another arm 68 is secured by bolts 69. The lower end of arm 6:8 is provided with a pin or stud 10 below shaft I 5 which receives a head I! at one end of a cable 12. The other end of cable 72 is connected to a relatively strongtension spring i3 which is also i acsdsio connected as at El to the hook 58. The shaft l5 and cable constitute control means for the hook element 58.

When the loom is operating under normal conditions rotation of shaft 5 will cause the lay to reciprocate and pass successively through its front, top, back, and bottom center positions back to front center position to'com-plete a one-pick cycle of the loom. The setting of shaft to its setposition will ordinarily occur when the lay is in the rear part of its motion some time between top and back center positions, but this rocking occurs too early to begin the back and forth motion of the thread holder. When shaft I5 moves to its set position cable 12 is placed under tension and a force acting through spring 13 overpowers spring 50 and moves the hook 58 against the rod 45. At this time in the loom cycle the rod 45 is being moved forwardly by the actuator and its hook 57 will be rearward of hook 58. By the time the lay reaches approximately its bottom center position the hook element 51 will have moved far enough forwardly so that the hook 58 can be moved into cooperative position relative to the operator means by the spring 13.

The actuator eccentric is set on the shaft 5 in such position that at this time the operator rod 45 starts its rearward motion and acts through hook 58 to move the thread holder rearwardly during a period corresponding to about one-half of a rotation of shaft 5. During this period the lay passes through its front center position and the depleted shuttle is replenished by a fresh bobbin the thread of which will remain attached to the thread holder, and at this time also the shaft 15 will be rocked by well-known mechanism not set forth herein back to its normal position, thereby slackening the connector 12 and permitting the spring 13 to return to its normal unstrained position. By this time however the two hooks are engaged with each other and remain thus engaged against the action of light spring 50 even though spring 73 has been slackened.

By the time the lay reaches picking position at or near its top center position the thread holder will have moved from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 so that the thread T will be in a rear position when the shuttle is picked as indicated in full lines in Fig. 18. The shuttle is of the self-threading type and with the thread thus favorably located self-threading of the shuttle is insured.

As the shaft 5 continues to turn through a period corresponding'to the second half of its rotation the eccentric will effect forward motion of the rod 45 and the spring 52, which had previously been expanded, will contract to move the thread holder back to its forward position, full lines in Fig. 2, by the time the lay is again at bottom center position. The actuator 35 causes rod 45 to'move forwardly a slight distance after forward motion of the thread holder is completed to permit disengagement of hook element 58 from hook element '51 by spring 60. By this tim the lay and shuttle may be in some such relative position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 18 and the thread T will be moved forwardly as indicated in dotted lines to be drawn under the fork F of the center filling stop motion. The

but instead of having a guide for the forward end of the operator rod which is on the thread holder a stationary guide will be employed so that the operator means can reciprocate independently of any support derived from the thread holder. Referring to Fig. 11, the tie rod 50 supports a guide designated generally at G and including an upper part 15 secured in adjusted angular and longitudinal position along the tie rod by set screw 16. The lower end of the part 15 is bolted as at 11 to a guide 18 having a bore 19 through which slides a rod similar to rod 45 and having therein a rearwardly extending hook element 81. Rod 80 may in fact be the rod 45 turned onequarter of a rotation from the position which it occupies when used with the preferred form of the invention so that hook element 8| will be on the top of the rod 80. The bolts 1! permit a vertical adjustment of the slide guide 18 with respect'to the tie rod 56 by reason of slots 82 in the upper part 18 of the guide G through which the bolts pass. The guide G can therefore be adjusted vertically, angularly, and longitudinally along the tie rod to adjust the bore 19 to a position in which the rod 80 can slide freely in it.

A thread holder arm 85 similar to arm 48 is mounted for rocking motion on the tie rod 59 and is held normally in forward position by a spring 8 6. The thread holder arm 85 is provided with an upright arm 81 on which is rotatably mounted a sheave 88 which can turn in a substantially vertical plane and around which is trained a cable 89 similar to cable 12. The lower end of the cable depending from the sheave 8-8 is connected to a relatively strong spring 99 similar to spring 13. The thread holder arm 85 is provided with a pair of ears 9| which support a pin 92 whichis horizontal and on which is rotatably mounted a hook element 93. This hook is above the rod 80 and its hooked end 94 will normally be held raised above the path of hook 8! by a relatively weak spring 95 similar to the spring 50. A stop 95 is supported by the ears 9! and limits motion of the hook 93 in a counter-clockwise directionas viewed in Fig. 15. The manner of mounting the hook 93 permits it to rock in a vertical plane and since the tie rod 50 is horizontal the thread holder also rocks backwardly and forwardly in a vertical plane.

The operation of the modified form of the invention is similar to that of the preferred form. When the shaft l5 rocks to its set position cable 89 will exert an upward force on spring 99 which will move the hooked end 94 of element 93 against the upper surface of'rod 8!] forward of hook Bi. When rod 86 has been moved to its forward position the spring 99 will rock the hook 93 so that its end 94 will be in alignment with the hook 8|, after which rearward motion of rod 89 will cause rearward motion of the thread holder. The timing and general mode of operation of the modified form of the invention will be substantially the same as that already described for the preferred form, but the rod 80 will be supported entirely independently of the thread holder. As the thread holder moves rearwardly it will swingangularly around tie rod 56 so that there will be a slight angular motion of the hook element 93 relative to the thread holder as the element remains in engagement with the rod 80 during rearward movement of the latter. This relationship is due to the fact that both the thread holder and hook element 93 are mounted to rock v in parallel planes which in the present instance are vertical.

As the rod 80 again moves forwardly the thread holder will return. to its normal forward position and move the thread under the stop motion fork. As the rod 8!] nears its extreme forward position hook element 93 will move out of engagement. with element St and the parts will be restored .to normal. condition.

From the foregoing it will .be seen that the invention sets forth simple means for effecting back .and forth motion of the thread holder of a bobbin changing loom, the means including. an

operator meanssuchas the rods 45 and 8.8 which move in an essentially straight line due to the guides provided for the rear and front ends of the operating means. ,Inboth forms of the invention rocking of the hook element on the thread holder is effected while the operator means for moving in a straight line so that the control means for the hook elements 53 and 93 need accommodate themselves to angular motion of but one of the two cooperating parts which when connected effect back and forth motion of the thread holder. When a stationary support is. used for the front end of the operator means and the thread holder is mounted for pivotal motion in a vertical plane the. hook element 93-, because of the fact that it also rocks in. a vertical plane can remain engaged with the rod 3U during rearward movement of the latter. In both forms of the invention the shaft extends through a slot in the rear end of the operator means and a straight line motion is imparted to the operator means as it is reciprocated by the actuator eccentric.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimedis:

1. In a weft replenishing loom having a center filling stop motion .fork and a self-threading shuttle which on a weft replenishing beat of the loom isreplenished by a bobbin from which a thread extends, a thread holder to which the thread is attached mounted to move back and forth in the loom, a loom shaft which rotates during loom operation, a backwardly and forwardly extending operator means, an actuator secured to and rotating with said shaft effecting a reciprocation of the operator means each rotation of the shaft, two guide means for the operator member, one guide means being for the forward end of the operator member and the other guide means. being for the rear end of said member, said guide means normally effective to guide the operator member in a straight line during reciprocation thereof by said actuator, two elements, one on the thread holder and the other on the operator member, for mutual cooperation normally inoperatively related but capable of being operatively related and when thus related causing the actuator and operator means to effect rearward movement of the thread holder during one half of the rotation of the shaft to place the thread favorably for selfthreading of the shuttle when the latter is picked subsequent to said replenishment thereof, control means operative incident to said weft replenishing operation to cause said elements to be operatively related, and return means thereafter effective during the second half of said rotation of the shaft to move the thread holder forwardly to move the thread under said fork.

.2. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said one guide means. is mounted on the thread holder.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said one guide means is stationary and .is supported independently of the thread holder.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said other guide means includes a block through which the shaft extends and having sliding engagement with the rear part of said operator means.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said actuator is an eccentric and the operator means has a roll cooperating with the eccentric.

6. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said elements are hooks one of which is on and pivoted with respect to the thread holder and the other of which is. formed on the operator member.

7. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means causes said elements to be operatively related while the operator means is moving in a straight line.

8. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein the loom has a reserve bobbin magazine includ-- ing in its construction a tie rod and a support secured to the tie rod carries said one guide means.

9. The structure set forth in claim 8 wherein said tie rod is parallel to said shaft and said support is adjustable angularly and longitudinally with respect to the tie rod.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a center filling stop motion fork and a self-threading shuttle which on a weft replenishing beat of the loom is replenished by a bobbin from which a thread extends, a thread holder to which the thread is attached mounted to swing back and forth in a vertical plane, a loom shaft which ro-- tates during loom operation, a backwardly and forwardly extending operator means, an actuator secured to and rotating with said shaft effecting a reciprocation of the operator means each rotation of the shaft, two guide means for the operator member, one guide means being stationary for the forward end of the operator member and the other guide means for the rear end of said member, said guide means normally efiective to guide the operator member in a straight line during reciprocation thereof by said actuator, two elements, one element being pivoted on the thread holder to swing in a vertical plane and the other element being on the operator member, for mutualcooperation normally inoperatively related but capable of being operatively related and when thus related causing the actgator and operator means to effect rearward angular movement of the thread holder in a vertical plane during one half of the rotation of the shaft to place the thread favorably for self-threading of the shuttle when the latter is picked subsequent to said replenishment thereof, control means operative incident to said weft replenishing operation to cause said elements to be operatively related, and return means thereafter effective during the second half of said rotation of the shaft to move the thread holder forwardly to move the thread under said fork.

ALEXANDER C. KRUKONIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,182,193 Wiget Dec. 5, 1939 2,531,176 Turner Nov. 21, 1950 2,569,907 Turner Oct. 2, 1951 

